Happy 5th Birthday Jada

Jada had 2 small parties and one large friends party.

So top collage we have in the top left, Grandpa holding Jada while she is blowing out her candle while Jill watches. Top right, Jada is opening her present from Uncle Brian & Jill. Bottom left is the quad that we bought Jada for her birthday and bottom two left are Jada opening her gift from Grandma & Grandpa Welk.

This collage is full of the fun we had with all the kids from her class. We played a lot of fun games with balloons. Eric was a great help during this time. Thanks Eric. Presents where opened as well in this large circle group.

Then there was cake and singing. This group of kids was amazingly behaved.

Once all the food and fun was done at our house we all headed to the movie theatre to watch Toy Story 3 and they were very well behaved in the theatre.

Happy Birthday to my special 5 year old.

Retro Dance

My cousin Stephanie was gracious enough to lend me a bunch of dance costumes from when she was young. Can you guess what era she was young in? The kids had so much fun trying all these costumes on!!! Jada loved this blue outfit. She wanted to wear this all day long. She even wanted to wear it for halloween.

Mamma Mia

Thanksgiving Sunday we (Casey, Shayne, Eric, Sara, Jada, Grandma & Grandpa Welk, and Uncle Nathan) all went to see Mamma Mia in Regina. First stop was of course the Mongoli Grill. It is a favorite of ours.

Jada sat beside Grandma (which is of no surprise) and everyone else was down the line. The big kids wouldnt hold still long enough for me to take a picture. Since you arent allowed camera's in there I was trying to be sneaky.

This was the kids' first musical theatre and they all really enjoyed it. I thought it was a great show.

More of Trooper

Well the little Trooper is growing and exploring so much more. She comes and goes up the stairs and all around the house as she pleases these days. Her and Copper are becoming friends. Copper wants to play with her non-stop and follows her around ALL day long. Trooper is starting to respond back and play. The hisses are getting less and less. Copper is the happiest if she is biting him, whether it is on the face or paws. He just lays right down and holds really still. It is so precious.

Trooper can fall asleep at the drop of a hat too. She is very trusting of everyone and will expose her belly. Yes, in the picture below she is on the table enjoying some cat milk & kitten food. and No I do not let her up there anymore. And then the bottom right picture is Lilly enjoying a belly rub from Jada.

Fall Skate School

This fall, Sara was involved in Swift Currents Fall Skate School. It is a great time to get your feet "wet" again before the season starts. She has a lot of fun during these times with her friends. She is wearing the ivory shirt in the collage below. I dont know what this jump is called, but she has been working very hard to get it mastered. Still not there yet, but working on it.

Below are some stretching and just hanging out and watching.

Fabulous Fall

I love the fall! And my kids love the fall. There is so much fun to be had when all the leaves start falling off the trees. And this year, it was one day green leaves, next yellow, and then the next day they where laying on the ground. The kids have always bagged as many leaves as they can and build a fort either in our yard or the yard across the street. This year it is across the street and I think the last time a count of bags was brought in was close to 100. They even go along the streets to collect leaves. Shovels and wagons are used as well. This year, Jada got a power wheels quad for her birthday, so the wagon was tied up to the back, and she was in charge of hauling the loads home.

It's been two years since I have had a nice picture of the kids in the leaves, and this year Eric only let me take one, Sara a couple, but I'm sure that Jada wouldve posed for me all day, but here are a few highlights.

The bags where originally lined up to be football lines, and the kids where tackling them. But it has since been built to a fort. I will have to get a good picture of that and add it on here. I think Copper has just as much fun as the kids do. I would have to say that fall is his favorite time too.

Hancock Hoe Down Part 2

The oldtimers got up on waterskiies this weekend too. It was amazing to see that they still had what it takes. So first off it is my dad!!!

Then here we have Eric. First time for him getting up. He did awesome for his first run ever. Even though we were concerned with the ancientness (if that is a word) of the skiies. But they both held up really well.

Then we have Eric & Sara kneeboarding as well. First time for both of them and I am so extremely proud of them for trying and doing such a great job.

Hancock Hoe Down Part 1

August long weekend we had a large gathering of Hancocks come to Lac Pelletier!! It was super fun to visit with cousins that we havent seen for a long time. It was great to see all the kids playing on the dock. Makes me remember the days of when we were all there as youngings.

So these are some randoms of waterfront fun. top left: Jada swimming (this would be her first year of really enjoying lake water that is a bit chilly), top right: Sara, ERic, Tristan, Mikhi, and Tyson, bottom left: Sara jumping in, bottom right: the loaded paddle boat.

top left: Sara jumping off the pontoon boat, top right, blaine jumping in, middle left: (Okay there is just too many people in all the pictures to name them all so if you really want to see a closer version and pick out my 3 kids you'll have to click on the pictures to make them larger) Sorry.

Summer Goalie Camp

Eric went to his first Goalie Camp this summer. He was at Goaltec in Saskatoon. I didnt actually get any pictures of him on ice, but did get one of him sitting with the other boys (he is in the blue t-shirt and white sunglasss) and then a picture of him receiving his report card. He did very well and had a really great time. We will definetly be going back next year.

Outlook Fun

When we went to outlook this summer to have Carla Chabot take our family photos we found this tiny piece of beach near out campsite so the kids really enjoyed a small piece of sand. It is very beautiful there. The bridge in the background is a pedestrian walking bridge.

First Day of Kindergarten

WOW! I know these posts are really out of order, but I also know that I really want to put them up so bear with me as I get through all the summery and early fall stuff here.

Jada started Kindergarten this year. SIGHHHHHH. Mamma bear needs a big hug. She goes Tuesday & Thursday full days. She did such an amazing job going to school and is so excited to be with her friends and stuff. Recesses however, are a bit of a challenge for her. She is crying during recesses, because she misses me. Tearing at my heart strings. But she is being a really good girl and pulling through. Sara & her friends are also helping with the transition and playing with her & her friends during recesses. Yeah for big sisters. (Plus, 2 weeks ago she had a dislocated hip for 3 days and that made it even harder to be at school, since I didnt know what was wrong at the time). Pictured below is her outside the school, putting on her shoes at her locker (man those are hard to do when they are new), Daddy helping her pull out her supplies from her backpack, and leaving the classroom for pictures (on the first day, yeah and notice the orange shirt. We are getting retakes. ~ I always let the kids pick what they wear for picture day and they always turn out great, but Jada just got this new orange shirt to try to expand on her colour palette of pink & purple and that is what she chose to wear that day....hense retakes now.

One of Jada's favorite parts of school so far is Mr. Munshaw's music class. She says he is so funny. We are so sad that this is his last year teaching. He will be missed.

Trooper

So here are a few pictures of Trooper the new kitten, and here is the story about how she came about.....

(TOP: top picture is Trooper sleeping inbetween Lilly's back legs, all the other pictures are of when her eyes where just starting to be opened all the way)

So Lilly (her Mom) went into labour at about 6pm on Saturday night. We locked her up in the bathroom for her to labour and have her kittens. I pretty much stayed in the bathroom with her all evening. Lilly wanted me to rub her belly whenever she would have contractions. I ended up falling asleep on the floor of the bathroom while I waited for a kitten to come. Finally at 1215 I woke up to Lilly's change in cry and saw that she had a kitten half way out - feet first!! So I had to get her to lay down and pop the head out with my finger. (I know it is gross, but what else would I do) The kitten was not breathing, so I did a bit of CPR. Little compressions on its chest and a few breaths in its face and alas we had gasping for breath. (Lilly was eating the placenta and birthing a second kitten and didnt even look at this kitten until I got it to make a squeek). So the first kitten turns out to be our Trooper. The second kitten born at home had a hole in her tummy and her intestines where ballooned outside her belly so I just had to let that baby die. (OH how it broke my heart. And yes, I did have lots of tears) So since Lilly was cleaning her 1st baby and still having contractions I decided to head to bed and felt she would do okay on her own.....

730 I woke up to check on Lilly and she hadnt had anymore kittens, was still having strong contractions, but bleeding bright red.....so I phoned the vet in Maple Creek.

8am, Sara & I were on the road with Lilly & Trooper to Maple Creek for Lilly to have an emergency c-section. So while Lilly was in having surgery, Trooper was tucked inside my sweater, sitting in the truck with the heater on watching the rains come down.

12Noon we find out the other 2 kittens that were still inside Lilly are dead. One had a birth defect and would have died anyway and the other kitten was dead upon finding her. The placenta's had come unattached during the night.

1230 we are heading home with Lilly all dopey in the carrier and Trooper tucked inside Sara's sweater.

When we get home, Lilly is wandering all over the house meowing looking for her kittens. It takes a while to calm her down and let Trooper drink. I think once the drugs started to wear off she really settled in to being a mommy and is doing a great job.

Even Copper and Trooper are getting along well. I will post some pictures of them together once I get them off my camera, so stay tuned for more pictures of the baby. She is 4 weeks old already.

Fun with good friends.

Jada, Eric & I went into Swift one day to hang out with our good friends, Colleen, William and Elan. It was a nice hot day (how did we luck out with one of these) so we decided to go to the spray park by their house and had a really good time. Thanks Colleen for some refreshing popsicles and a great time. Hopefully we can do it again soon.

(OOOHHHHH side note....Elan is wearing one of Jada's old dresses and her old shoes. How I love to see the clothes being used. Glad Elan can enjoy Jada's hand me downs)

You know you're a red neck when?

Yup driving in Swift Current, come to a red light and this sheep started moving in the back of this truck. It's head was tiied down so it couldnt get out. Eric & I had a good chuckle over this.

Confined Space Entry

Casey brought the Confined Space simulater home and the kids all got to climb through it and have some fun. THey all thought it was really cool. Eric & Sara even masked up with oxygen and did the whole thing. So this is just a couple pictures of them playing and having fun. They could've spent all day in there. Jada and Lexi even took pillows in there and had a little "fort".

Day 17 Part 2

this little rollercoaster is Jada's favorite ride. Her arms go up right away and never come down. She is the third car back.

4. Stopped in Strathmore to eat at Smittys on our way home.

5. Driving back to Gull Lake, all tired, sick or sore.

VACATION IS OVER :(

....but the trip will be on next year again. Maybe see some new things again. Thanks for reading all this.